Star Trek: Betazoids and Vulcans

[Rigel]

I am about to start a new SH Star Trek campaign and I was wondering if you guys had any ideas how best to simulate the telepathic abilities of Vulcans and Betazoids in SH? In addition to full Betazoids like Lwaxana, we will also have a half-Betazoid empath like Deanna Troi.

Thanks in advance for the ideas.

[Southern Cross]

Given that most telepaths in Star Trek seem to have their telepathic powers get weaker over distance,most (but not all ) ST telepaths should probably buy Telepathy with the Reduced By Range Limitation (especially Vulcans).
Also, telepaths should have an even more limited selection of powers than normaL: i.e. most telepaths should be limited to purchaing Telepathy and Mind Scan.

[Old Man]

Betazeds should probably have Mind Scan and Telepathy. I don't know if they really ought to have reduced by range since Deanna was always capable of reading emotions from one starship away, or on a planetary surface from orbit. Then again, it seemed like she was best able to read the emotions of someone who happened to be on screen at the moment--maybe you could work that in. Deanna, at least, never seemed to be capable of reading much more than surface emotions; whether that's some kind of limitation or just low points in the power, I don't know.

I don't remember Vulcans as having telepathy at range--they always seemed to have to put their hands on whoever they were trying to read. But they were capable of far more with their telepathy, including invasive mind reading, suggestion, and backing up their own minds into someone else's. That, coupled with their ability to lift heavy things and get really mad, makes them much cooler than betazeds.

[Armitage]

Originally posted by Old Man
I don't remember Vulcans as having telepathy at range--they always seemed to have to put their hands on whoever they were trying to read.

In the episode with the Yangs and Cons (I think, can't remember the title) Spock was able to telepathically influence a woman's behavior at a distance, although it took intense concentration.
I may have the wrong episode, but I definitely remember him controlling a primative woman from across a room.

[Syberdwarf2]

Originally posted by Armitage
In the episode with the Yangs and Cons (I think, can't remember the title) Spock was able to telepathically influence a woman's behavior at a distance, although it took intense concentration.
I may have the wrong episode, but I definitely remember him controlling a primative woman from across a room.

I remember that scene also, but not the episode. I would simulate the Vulcan telepathy at range power with an Increased Endurance cost and either Activation Roll or Concentration: 0 DCV (or both)

[Stormraven]

I don't recall Spock influencing a woman, but I do recall him using his telepathy at range to make a captor (I believe this was the ones from the Andromeda Galaxy) think someone was sick so he would come into the cell.

[Law Dog]

Also, remember that at least with Bendii's syndrome, Vulcans become projecting empaths when suffering from this condition. Which lends some credence to the usable at range with limitations for Vulcans.

It's really hard to site just how much presented on Star Trek is canonical and what isn't. Does the Ferengi four lobe brain prevent telepathic intrusion or doesn't it? (Depends on the episode). Can a half-Betazoid communicate telepathically with somebody that they are close to? (Deanna does to Riker on the 1st episode of TNG, but never again, otherwise Disaster would have been a lot less suspenseful when she confirmed Riker was alive in the engineering section.) And, of course, the distance and amount of surrounding people have effected Betazoid telepathy/empathy to varying degrees in different episodes.

[Syberdwarf2]

Perhaps you could solve the problem with a Psychim or three. Something like "Will Not Remove Emotional Barriers (common, Total)". Of course, in Spock's case, he's only half-vulcan, and has spent a lot of time around humans and other species at length. Sarek on the other was going senile, and on his last leg, so to speak. Getting stuck with the Vulcan equivalent of Alzheimer's would probably go to work on his emotional barriers first.

[Ranxerox]

I don't know about Betazoids but I would handle Vulcans something like this:

25 Multipower (50 active pts), Concentration (0 DCV) -1/2, Reduced by Range -1/4, Subject to Range Modifiers -1/4
2 u -10d6 Telepathy
2 u -10d6 Mind Control
2 u -10d6 Mental Illusions

Total = 31 points

This would be for an adult Vulcan with full training. Masters would have 60 or even 70 active pts in their multipower and possibly additional slots. Some stories that I've read seemed to indicate that many and possibly most Vulcans have not taken the time to fully train their minds psioic powers. These Vulcans would have fewer active points in their multipower or just the talent Latent Psionic.

My 2 credits

[Koshka]

Originally posted by Old Man
I don't remember Vulcans as having telepathy at range--they always seemed to have to put their hands on whoever they were trying to read.

In the episode with the giant space amoeba, Spock senses the death of a spaceship full of Vulcans from way outside sensor range. Of course, an Enterprise-class ship (what was the actual class name, anyway?) with a full crew of Vulcans can probably generate loads of psychic energy given a reason, and "we're about to die" sounds like a reason to me.

Now, without that sort of power surge, I agree that they don't have a lot of range. Personally, I'd write their mental powers with a partial limitation (the first few dice normal, the rest with No Range). YMMV, though.

[Law Dog]

Originally posted by Koshka
Of course, an Enterprise-class ship (what was the actual class name, anyway?)

The original Enterprise was Constitution class.